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System and method for authorizing software use

a software and authorization technology, applied in the field of system and method for authorizing software use, can solve the problem that licensed items from one smart card cannot be transferred to another smart card, and achieve the effect of facilitating the transfer of licensed items from one smart card to another

Inactive Publication Date: 2005-06-23
FALCONSTOR
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  • Summary
  • Abstract
  • Description
  • Claims
  • Application Information

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

Fifth, licensed items from one smart card can only be transferred to another smart card.

Method used

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  • System and method for authorizing software use
  • System and method for authorizing software use
  • System and method for authorizing software use

Examples

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Embodiment Construction

[0017] The present invention uses a smart card in combination with an authentication infrastructure to provide a software licensing system designed to control the distribution of a software package. Smart cards provide a convenient yet secure way of transporting and storing sensitive information used in the authentication infrastructure. The software is freely distributed and copied, but software use is controlled by selling authorized, irreproducible smart cards, and authenticating the smart card before being able to use the software.

[0018] One type of authentication infrastructure is public key infrastructure (PKI), and it will be used to illustrate the principles of the invention. PKI lays the foundation for a well-established system of authentication and authorization. Combining the capabilities of smart cards and PKI produces a new scheme of licensing that provides the level of security and flexibility that is unrealizable in pure software licensing. PKI will be described furt...

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Abstract

A software vendor freely distributes software to users and issues smart cards to be used with the software. The smart card includes at least one software module missing from the software package and a list of allowed functionality dictating the capabilities of the software package. A user authenticates, using, e.g., public key cryptography, the smart card, which authorizes the use of the software. Once authorized, the module missing from the software is reunited with the rest of the software package. The software can be used limited to the allowed functionality included with the card. If more or different functionality is needed, the user can purchase another card authorizing such additional functionality, and then transfer the new functionality to the old smart card.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0001] This invention relates generally to a system and method for authorizing software use. More particularly, this invention relates to authorizing software use with smart cards. [0002] Licensing software, especially in an enterprise environment, has proven rather difficult, chiefly because of the very nature of software products, which can be copied with 100% integrity. Many licensing schemes, including schemes requiring the consistent presence of Internet connectivity while operating the software, have been attempted, but have failed for one reason or another. [0003] One way to protect software is to use a data encryption algorithm, such as that found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,634,807 to Chorley et al. This patent discloses encrypting an important module of a software package using, for example, the Data Encryption Standard (DES) algorithm and a DES key. Both are also required to decrypt the module. The decryption key is encrypted using a different technique...

Claims

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Application Information

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IPC IPC(8): G06F21/00H04K1/00H04L9/32
CPCG06F21/123G06F21/125H04L9/3271H04L9/3263H04L9/3234
Inventor LAM, WAI T.LI, XIAOWEI
Owner FALCONSTOR
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